It was a clear day for sailing, Sept. 22, 2006, when the Space and
Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Norfolk (SSCN) set course under
new leadership. Commanding Officer Capt. David A. Pry was relieved by
Capt. Joseph S. Konicki, who pledged to continue to focus on the fleet,
and to continue the innovative leadership methods that Pry had launched
during his command.

"My longer term goal is to seek out the best practices both
within the U.S. government and from industry, and map those to our
internal processes. Throughout turnover, SSCN leadership communicated to
me that SSCN does not seek to be 'good enough,' we seek to be
great, and we seek to achieve excellence in all areas," Konicki
said.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm was high as military, civilian and contractor
support personnel took time to reflect on the SSCN accomplishments of
the past two years. Under Pry, military retention was 100 percent, and
about 20 SSCN military personnel have or will serve as Individual
Augmentees in Iraq in support of the global war on terror.

SSCN Executive Director Patricia A. Fuller said that Capt. Pry
would be sorely missed by SSCN personnel and its customers.

"Capt. Pry is a people person. His commitment to SSCN
motivated our personnel to even greater successes."

In June 2005, SSCN became certified, through the Software
Technology Support Center, as a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) Level 3
organization and instituted other metrics for measuring customer
satisfaction with the products it delivers to the fleet. CMM Level 3
certification means that SSCN products are developed quicker, at a lower
cost and with greater reliability.

Guest speaker and SPAWAR Commander Rear Adm. Michael C. Bachmann
said that Pry concentrated on what he considers the four essentials of
leadership: people, processes, products and metrics.

"I have been affiliated with them for a long time. They used
to be totally focused on software development and testing. They have
transformed themselves over the past decade. They have started to
develop themselves through the CMMI process to ensure they have good
oversight on software development and quality.

"I am impressed by their effort to have folks get their PMP
(Project Management Professional) certification. This will be our forte
in the future. That is a critical skill set that is needed to make sure
software is delivered on time and that it meets its key performance
parameters. They have done a good job in both of those venues, not only
Norfolk but Systems Centers New Orleans, Charleston and San Diego,"
Bachmann said.

Rear Adm. Bachmann congratulated Pry for improving fleet
satisfaction and on SSCN's role as a trusted agent in serving its
customers. To stay close to the fleet, SSCN has branch offices in San
Diego, Calif., and one in Yokosuka, Japan, under the leadership of Cmdr.
Steve Bowman.

"We all held a bond that was based on collaboration and trust
vice competitiveness. This being the cornerstone of our working
arrangement will ensure much success in our future."

In conclusion, Pry talked about the synergy created between SSCN,
Team SPAWAR and SSCN customers, such as Fleet Forces Command, Naval
Supply Systems Command and the medical community.

These partnerships, Pry said, led to improved products and
services. He discussed several new SSCN-developed systems to be
delivered soon, including the Logistics Maintenance Automated
Information System (LMAIS) to be installed on the Littoral Combat Ship next June.

"In the dynamic, complex environment that SSCN operates in,
not only must you be sound internally from an organizational standpoint
but managing external activities and factors are equally as important.
Nurturing these relationships through mutual respect, understanding and
teaming to achieve a common goal has led to our collective successes,
and more importantly, friendship," Pry said.

For more information about SSCN go to http://www.scn.spawar.
navy.mil.

Sharon Anderson is the CHIPS senior editor, contact her at
chips@navy.mil.

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